Roofers help rescue couple from burning NY home

SHERMAN, N.Y. (AP) – A roofing crew is being credited with helping to rescue a western New York couple from their burning home.

The Chautauqua (shuh-TAW’-kwuh) County Sheriff’s Office tells local media outlets that four men were working on a house in the rural town of Sherman Tuesday morning when they noticed smoke pouring from a neighboring home.

Deputies say the roofers rushed next door with their ladders and used them to reach the second floor where James and Norma Sittnick were trapped in a bedroom. A neighbor also helped the roofers rescue the couple before firefighters and deputies arrived.

The Sittnicks were taken to a Pittsburgh-area hospital for treatment. Information on their conditions wasn’t available.

Deputies say the cause of the fire appears to be accidental but remains under investigation.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)